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Posts Tagged ‘career coach’

Getting Your To-Dos in Order

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011

Every Sunday, I write out a to-do list for the coming week. I plan out my activities on each day, and make notes as to tasks I want to complete within each 24-hour period. I have list of people to follow up with and a list for house stuff. I also have a note book of items to brainstorm about. I get pretty nit-picky about my lists — but if I don’t write it down, it doesn’t get done and I only focus on one list at a time.

When you make generalized lists, with big bullet items like “Networking,” “Cold Calls,” and “Business Plan”, you can become frustrated when you are not able to cross these things off your lists. To help you be more productive, break down your projects and tasks into specific bite-sized pieces, they will be a little less overwhelming and you’ll find you’ll get more done. Also, big-ticket items require big chunks of time, which aren’t always possible to set aside in the midst of a busy week and tend to get put on the back burner.

Instead of making generalized lists on which items linger for weeks or months at a time, try chunking it down. Instead of listing, “Return e-mails”, list the people you need to contact by name, and check them off one by one. That way, you can visually track your progress, and transfer only those names that remain to the next week’s list. Instead of writing, “Work on Business Plan”, break the task into pieces like “Target Market Overview” that will only take you 30 to 90 minutes to complete.

You can also cross-reference your lists to help you multitask. For example, my lists last week included items like “Yard Work,” “Gym,” and “Playtime with Kaylee.” We combined all three in one fun afternoon, which included a game of tag and Pick-Up-Sticks in the backyard.

There’s a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment that comes from crossing items off a list. If you find yourself spinning your wheels, set smaller and more manageable goals, and attack them one by one. Success isn’t measure in giant leaps, but in innumerable baby steps, like cobblestones on a road. The best to-do lists are the ones that help you look back over your week and see how far you’ve come.

Here is a link to free copy of the “To do” list I use and also give to my clients to use.

Are you completely paperless? Try Life Balance software for free for 30 days.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEBSITE? Please do, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Dawn Quesnel, CPCC, PCC, known as Coach DQ, is a professional coach, radio show host and workshop leader. Through the use of her B.R.I.D.G.E. programs she helps marketing, advertising, and creative entrepreneurs navigate career or business transition while maintaining a healthy career-life balance. Her core belief that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, consistently leads clients to uncover hidden resources and strengths. B.R.I.D.G.E. the gap and accelerate your career so you can love your life now! Visit www.CareerLifeBalance.net or http://www.coachdq.com today or for more information email me.

Potholes — Tolerations Part 2

Thursday, April 7th, 2011

What Are You Tolerating?

Continuing our discussion of tolerations…

Below are some common tolerations cited by my clients and colleagues. Maybe some of these potholes are also in your road.

What people are tolerating at home:

“I need to create a financial plan for my family.”
“I need to take care of the house projects.”
“I need to exercise more — get to the gym.”
“I need to exercise more control over personal finances.”
“I need to clean out the attic/basement/garage.”
“I need to help the kids with school more.”
“I need to take a vacation.”

What people are tolerating at work:

“No raises.”
“No positive reinforcement; even after clients have told me they have gone out of their way to tell my boss they are happy with the work I have done, he never acknowledges it in any way.”
“Unfulfilling work culture and lack of mental challange.”
“Throughout my tenure at my company, I have felt that I can do 100 things acceptably, but when one thing is identified as not good enough in so many words, it becomes a big deal.”
“I wait until I get mad to leave a place.”
Other people’s ‘poor me’ syndrome.”
“Unprofitable professional relationships.”
“Personality dynamics.” –Need I say more about that one!

What people are tolerating personally:

“Waiting to receive permission before acting.”
“Not thinking things thoroughly.”
“Not waiting to learn from my mistakes before taking actions.”
“Waiting for events to happen – being reactive.”
“Letting other people lead the way.”
“My laziness.”
“My internalizing and over-thinking.”
“My inability to keep and meet goals.”
“My weakness for sweets.”
“My lack of willpower .”
“My closed-off attitude – not being willing to open up.”
“My reluctance to try new things more often.”
“My lack of empathy.”
“Not verbalizing my thoughts and acting on them.”
“Not making the most of every moment.”
“Destructive or draining personal relationships.”

All of the above issues could be resolved by making an actionable plan and sticking to it. To quote Nike’s tagline: “Just do it.” No amount of thinking will resolve nagging issues or create the change you crave: you have to act on your thoughts.

If you recognize any of the above tolerations in your own life, make a list of three things you can do to move toward a resolution. Once you fill the potholes, you can start looking ahead to where your road leads!

You can take an inventory of your tolerations by downloading this exercise What Am I Tolerating and call me for your complimentary coaching consult.

Potholes — Tolerations Part 1

Tuesday, March 29th, 2011

We all have stuff we don’t like to do. And when it comes to work, there are definitely some tasks that are more pleasant than others.

I call the things we don’t like to do “tolerations.” If you don’t stay on top of them, these things can puncture your success bubble as surely as a monster Massachusetts pothole can pop your front tire.

Potholes like tolerations can be deceiving. Metaphorically speaking, when they sit on your desk, your tolerations crumble away at your energy every time your mind drives over it, making your day less efficient. Instead of smooth sailing down a nicely paved highway, your daily route suddenly looks like an obstacle course. You’re constantly swerving around unfinished tasks, trying to avoid the potholes and bumps. The more tolerations (potholes) in your road, the slower and more challenging your progress becomes, plus, the longer it takes to get there. Or worse, you’re driving too fast and miss or get hit by a big one!

You own your own road. So you’ll have to fill in the holes yourself, hire someone else to do the work, tow you out, and/or pay the price in repairs down the road.

Here are some common tolerations that might be eating away at your pavement.

Bookkeeping
Budgeting
Collections
Editing your resume
Writing your business plan
Filing
Cleaning out your inbox
Organizing your desk
Accepting clients you call “P.I.A.” clients (Pains in the Ass*)

* You recognize the signs everytime, trust your intuition. Life is too short. Why tolerate it! Patch that business pothole

Sometimes, we can hang onto tolerations in order to justify our sense of suffering. When your road is full of ruts, you might feel a bit noble about your burdens — as in, “I have so much to do! Look how hard my road is to travel!” In the end, though, this is an expensive source of self-esteem, and it can block you from real progress. After all, what are you really getting out of martyrdom?

There can be a kind of joy in the menial and frustrating tasks that can become our potholes. When you finally do finish that bookkeeping, it will probably feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.

A case in point: I’ve been meaning to populate this years budget, which means reviewing all of last year’s numbers and every month since December it would drive through my mind. Then I’d justify it by saying in my head to myself, “I’ll have a better sense after the 1st quarter.” I decided it’s time to fill in the pothole. So, last night I finally compared actuals to budget and to my surprise I am down $150 per month in expenses. When you sit down and bang out your business plan, the clarity you gain might supply the momentum to move you forward to the next phase. Now I can allocate those extra funds to something else and reinvest in my business.

Are you tolerating outstanding receivables? When you start making those collection calls, you might feel a sense of empowerment, because you know what? You do deserve to get paid!

Cataloging your tolerations can be really enlightening. Some of my clients have had transformational breakthroughs around this exercise. After all, seeing the potholes is the first and most important step toward fixing them!

You can take an inventory of your tolerations by downloading this exercise What Am I Tolerating and call me for your complimentary coaching consult.

The Robins Are Doing the Deal

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

Spring in New England is a wonderful, busy time. When I look at my yard, all of nature seems to be networking, planting seeds and making new contacts. Everything is focused on renewal and reconnection.

“Spring Fever” isn’t just for lovers: there’s a real surge of energy in the air at this time of year, and that makes April the perfect month to jump-start your business. Everyone’s coming out of their winter hibernation, anxious to be part of the world again, and that makes this a prime time for networking.

Here are some steps to take to help you take advantage of Spring’s buoyant energy:

Confirm your goals for this year. Write them down, and post them somewhere where you’ll look at them often.
Choose a goal, and write down all the skills that you have to support it. These are the things that you do on a daily basis which will make your goal possible — things like providing great customer service, creating strategic visions, delivering projects on time, or organizing people or information.
Get some backup. Ask friends, colleagues, and existing clients for testimonials and other concrete support. Sometimes, just knowing that other people think you’re great at what you do is enough to pull you out of a muddy winter rut!
Network! Start talking about your goals, and reach out to people who can help you achieve them. Make a list of twenty-five people who you know have information, resources, or advice that will help you. Try to connect with at least five of them each week.
Play “Six Degrees of Separation.” You’re closer than you might think to the people who can help you achieve your goals. Start by making five columns on a sheet of paper.

o Column 1: The person you’d ultimately like to contact (i.e., VP of Marketing at Company X).
o Column 2: How you can be a great resource for the person in Column 1.
o Column 3: People you know who may be able to help you reach the person in Column 1. Get creative here. Utilize your whole social pool.
o Column 4: the date by which you will contact the person in Column 1.
o Column 5: The actual date of contact (and subsequent celebration!).

If you automatically get anxious at the thought of networking, remember that it takes practice — and that even Einstein consulted his colleagues when he was formulating the theory of relativity! And if you need a more earthy comparison, think about those robins bustling around outside your window, or the squirrels chattering in your trees. They work together to make like better. A “networking buddy” can be a great partner in accountability; share your goals and plans to keep one another on track.

For fun, here is the link to the Wikipedia Six Degrees of Separation game. It certainly helps us understand how close we are to anyone we would like to contact. Just promise yourself not to waste too much time playing with Kevin Bacon when you could be playing for your own success. Here is the link, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Degrees_of_Kevin_Bacon.

Effective Networking Strategies, Part 2

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011

Last week, we looked at how to categorize your networking contacts in a way that works for you. Now, let’s talk about how you can follow up effectively with your new contacts. I’ll use my system as an example, since it works well for me, and you can use these ideas to develop your own system.

Meeting people at networking functions is the easy part, since everyone is there for the same purpose; it’s staying in touch with them after that can be challenging. This is where many people get nervous, unsure what the boundaries are and how to be assertive without being a pain in the neck.

The initial contact. After I categorize my new contacts into Contact Sphere, Joint Venture, Friendly Competition, and Potential Clients, I take the time to follow up with everyone via e-mail within one week. I have a form e-mail that I’ve created specifically for this, with blank fields I can fill in with personalized details. I’ll mention where and when I met the person, recall details of our conversation, and remind them of who I am.

In this e-mail, I clearly invite the person to sign up for my newsletter, connect with me on LinkedIn, or respond via e-mail (or all three). Some people take the liberty of adding new contacts to their e-mail lists right away; often, they’ll send the new contact an e-mail with a note explaining that “I’ve added you to my newsletter/mailing list/blog, but I won’t be offended if you unsubscribe.”

Getting to know you. Once you have a reply, you might consider scheduling a phone call or face-to-face meeting with your new contact to chat about possibilities for this connection. Or, you might simply connect with them on LinkedIn. However, before you take the easy way out, remember that people are 10 times more likely to remember a face-to-face conversation than they are a virtual one, and 5 times more likely to remember a phone conversation than an e-mail. In other words, it’s not just connecting, but how you connect that matters.

When I meet someone face to face for coffee or lunch, I always take the time to send a handwritten thank you note I had made with my logo on it.

Connect on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a great resource because it allows to you see, at a glance, your new connection’s contact sphere. If there’s someone in that sphere who you think would be helpful to you, you can ask your new contact for an introduction. Now that we’re doing things virtually, asking for this favor isn’t as much of an imposition as it once was. However, I’ve had more success calling the contact first and ask them how well they know the contact and let them know you will be sending an introduction request via linkedin. If you are doing this and you are not getting responses, it’s either because your contact doesn’t know the person well enough to refer you, or your contact is not really active on linkedin. Or people are just plain busy and it’s not a priority, don’t take it personal, it’s not about you. Pick up the phone and follow up. I believe it was Jeffrey Gitomer, who said 75% of sales happen after the 6th call.

Stay in touch. People have to see something 21 times before it sticks in their mind. This is why television advertising is so effective. The same principle applies here: the more times your new contact sees your name in print or on screen, the more likely they are to think of you when something in your field comes their way.

One question that often arises is that of persistence. How many times should you try to reach out to a contact before you give them up for lost? The answer is… It depends.

Networking doesn’t have to be hard work, make if fun. Out of ten people I reached out to last week, only one replied directly to me via e-mail. I followed up with the group again and ended up meeting four others in person, which led to three more introductions.

As a recruiter, I pursued Fidelity Investments for a year and a half before I won the contract able to place my people in their in-house advertising department. They kept having turnover and everytime I had a new contact, three months later, someone else was in charge. I ended up placing their highest-paid Creative Director at the time. A few years later, my contact who use to work at Fidelity, searched my name on line and called me looking for help and complimenting on what I did job I did back then.

How many times you follow up is a matter of personal choice. I usually send two or three e-mails and/or phone calls to potential contacts after I meet them. If I don’t hear something from them — an invitation to connect on LinkedIn, an e-mail, a note on Facebook — I tear up their business card. After all, there’s persistence, and then there’s wasting your time.

If you need help sorting through the networking process, feel free to give me a call. After all, I’ve been there. You might even drop me into your contact sphere!
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A Crisis!

Monday, January 10th, 2011

Let’s take a little trip back in time.

Before I started my coaching business, I was one of the top recruiters in my company, and the number one biller out of six offices in a down economy. The pressure was enormous and the hours brutal, but the money was great and I enjoyed the work, so I put up with it.

One day, my new manager wandered into my office. (our company was acquired by a large franchise staffing firm) “Hi Dawn,” she said in that chirpy voice. “I see you’re married.” She literally picked up my hand, said, “nice ring”. I nodded, confused. “Well,” she went on, “I hope you’re not planning on getting pregnant. I’ll be putting pills in your OJ, Hah, hah” and she walked away. This is no joke.

The truth was, I hadn’t been planning to try for a baby anytime soon at the time. But I knew I wanted a family, and this lady was NOT going to tell me I couldn’t have one.

That day, I reached what I call a “crisis point,” and I knew it was time to get out. It was the push I needed. I had been talking about with my associates and husband for the last 6 months. I couldn’t work for a company that that didn’t value me except as a golden goose.

I’d known for a while this was no longer my ideal work environment. The boss that had promised me a BMW if I hit my target two years in a row. Never followed through and I learned the hard way, that I should have gotten it in writing. I’d seen the people around me burn out under the pressure, and I’d had more than a few tough days myself. But it took that comment from my new to be boss that truly make me realize how unhealthy the situation was.

Many of us know that it’s time for a change, but instead of initiating that change ourselves, we wait around for something to push us into it. We don’t change the problems in our marriages until divorce is looming, and we don’t change the problems in our careers until the only options are burn out or get out or it’s too late and you are laid off. Sometimes, not even burnout will stop us from holding on — we’ll keep showing up anyway, hoping that they’ll kick us out. In other words, we give our choice away, because owning it is too big a responsibility.

I know a woman who hates her job in the marketing department of a construction company. I mean, truly loathes it. A graphic designer of her caliber should have no trouble at all starting up as a freelancer, but she won’t do it. When you ask her why, she’ll mutter something about benefits, and a weekly paycheck. Sometimes, she says that she hopes her boss will fire her, because that would force her to do something—but right now, she’s too drained by the end of the day to even think about putting a resume together. She’s waiting for a crisis, hoping that someone (or something) will make her choice for her.

For others, a major life event is what sparks change: a birth, a death, a divorce, a wedding, a layoff. But do you really need such a major shock to wake up? The tighter the crunch, the fewer options you’ll have — so why not act now, before things build to a head?

One of my most important jobs as a coach is to help people in transition. If you’re feeling a career crisis coming on, don’t wait — take the reins now, and take control of your career.

This quote sums up my story — “If you can’t be a good example — then you’ll just have to be a horrible warning.” Catherine

“Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission.” Eleanor Roosevelt
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Over-Performing

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

The other day, I was at a networking group meeting, and one of the officers asked me if I’d like to take on an ambassadorship. “You’ve got a great background in recruiting, and we could really use your help to generate new membership,” she said. “You’re exactly what we need.”
And she was right. I was a perfect fit for the job. But I didn’t want it, and I told her so.

The next day, the President of the group called me personally, to ask again if I’d take the ambassadorship. I told him no, too. “Thanks for the opportunity,” I said, “But it’s my time, and I need to spend it on other things right now.” Don’t get me wrong — my networking group is important to me. I value the relationships I’ve built there, and we really could use a boost in membership. But is it more important than my time with my daughter and husband? Or my time with my clients? Or the time I spend exercising and taking care of myself? Because hours in one of these areas would have to be sacrificed in order to make time for the ambassadorship — or, I could allot a very small number of hours to the networking group, do a half-assed job, and leave everyone dissatisfied. So as much as I would have liked to say yes, I had to say no.
I can’t tell you how many years it’s taken me to learn this lesson.

If you’re the type of person who likes to say yes, you are probably also the type of person who wakes up in the middle of the night, thinking, “How the heck am I going to get all of this done?” “Why did I commit to doing this?” Time is one thing that we can’t make more of, and if yours is already scheduled to the hilt, you may be suffering from a serious case of over-performing.

Here’s a perfect example: One of my clients recently took a new job, in part because there was so much pressure at her old job. She took a pay cut in her new position, and was determined to find more balance. She’s a self-admitted perfectionist, and now, after only 90 days in the job, she’s coming close to the point of burnout. Turns out, she can’t do her best every day in the number of hours she’d scheduled for work, because she over committed to too many initiatives, so she’s pulling hours from home, family, and herself. The fact that she wants to do her best is commendable, but she’s back in the same position she was in at her last job, and working for a lot less money.

Why do we do this to ourselves? Call it self-competition. Once we’ve established ourselves as performers at a certain level, we believe we always need to perform at that level. Worse, we feel that we need to continually get better, and do more. We never want to be at a level with the bar — even if we set the bar ourselves. What’s more, we don’t take time to revel in our achievements. Once we finish a project, rather than sitting back and basking in the warm glow of pride, we immediately move on to the next thing, and the bar is raised yet again. I know this because I did it for years and now it’s easy for me to recognize in my clients.

If you’re in search of balance, ask yourself a few questions. Listen carefully to the answers that arise. You might even make this a journaling exercise. (If you automatically replied, “I don’t have time for that!” ask yourself what could possibly be a more important use of your time than YOU.)

Why do you feel you need to say yes to every project that comes your way?
What do you feel that you’ll lose or jeopardize by saying no?
Who are you competing with?
What goal is being served by your over-achievement? Is there a light at the end of this tunnel?
Does having free time make you uncomfortable? Why?

Answer these five questions honestly, and the answers might change your life.
After offering my apologies to the president of my networking group, I hung up the phone with a smile. Any guilt I felt was immediately erased when I looked at the picture of my daughter I keep on my desk. She’s the biggest reason for balance in my life, and my best insurance against over-performing.
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WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEBSITE? Please do, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Dawn Quesnel, CPCC, PCC, known as Coach DQ, is a professional coach, radio show host and workshop leader. Through the use of her B.R.I.D.G.E. programs she helps marketing, advertising, and creative entrepreneurs navigate career or business transition while maintaining a healthy career-life balance. Her core belief that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, consistently leads clients to uncover hidden resources and strengths. B.R.I.D.G.E. the gap and accelerate your career so you can love your life now! Visit www.CareerLifeBalance.net or http://www.coachdq.com today or for more information email me.

Evaluating 2010

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010

I have a tradition that I’d like to share with you. No, it doesn’t involve cooking, shopping, or any other usual holiday stuff — although I have those traditions too.

Every year, as I mentioned earlier this month in the article titled “Bad Hair Day”, I look back in gratitude for what I’ve accomplished in my business, and assess how far I’ve come since the previous year. I take an inventory of whom I’ve worked with, and determine some markers for the success rates of both myself and my clients.

After reviewing the average time each of my new career clients spent working with me, and comparing their results with that timeline, I was able to determine that, on average, my clients with a prospective salary range of $60-$130k are able to transition into a new job within four months using my BRIDGE Method. Clients in the $150k+ salary range found a job within six months.

I have faith that the people I work with, whether on a short-term or long-term basis, are the right match for the services I offer. And so we’re able to work collaboratively to create amazing results. When I plan my next business year from this place of gratitude, the forecast always looks rosy — and as we all know, what we think about is what comes to us when we take action on it!

This week, take some time to reflect on your own business’s performance. Don’t waste time judging or saying things like, “If only…” or “I should have…” Instead, take note of your milestones and your positive accomplishments. Look at the results you’ve generated. Which feel really good to you? Which can you improve next year, using your new experience and knowledge? What were your goals for 2010, and how many of them did you meet?

It’s important for all of us to recognize our positive accomplishments as well as acknowledge our shortcomings. Maybe you could have done more prospecting this year — but you did build that database, which will support you in your dealings with new clients in 2011. Remember that while some years are banner years, some years are more about balance, transition, and learning. According to some, this year (2010) has brought not only personal transition for many people, but a global shift toward a higher consciousness and a different way of thinking about life and business. Now that’s encouraging!

“People should think things out fresh and not just accept conventional terms and the conventional way of doing things.” R. Buckminster Fuller

Dawn Quesnel, CPCC, PCC, known as Coach DQ, is a professional coach, radio show host and workshop leader. Through the use of her B.R.I.D.G.E. programs she helps marketing, advertising, and creative entrepreneurs navigate career or business transition while maintaining a healthy career-life balance. Her core belief that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, consistently leads clients to uncover hidden resources and strengths. B.R.I.D.G.E. the gap and accelerate your career so you can love your life now! http://www.coachdq.com

Are You Working from Assumption?

Monday, November 15th, 2010

You remember the old adage: “When you Assume, you make an Ass out of U and Me!” Nothing could be truer, especially when it comes to planning your future. But although we know (in theory) that assumptions are dangerous, we don’t always recognize when we’re assuming.

Too many people today are working from a place of fear instead of fun, and from a place of apprehension instead of action, because they assume they know what will happen if they make a change.

“If I leave my job, I’ll never find another one.” “If I start my own business in this economy, I’ll crash and burn in a year.” These aren’t facts: they’re assumptions. And we all know what happens when you assume.

Assumptions keep you stuck in apprehension, and “apprehension” is just a pretty word for fear — a way to dress the wolf in sheep’s clothing. When our minds are constantly spitting out reasons why we can’t do this or that, we start to feel trapped, like a cat up a tree. Our “fight or flight” response is triggered, and our bodies react accordingly. For some, the constant stress of “I can’t” manifests as physical illness; for others, depression or anxiety. I’ve personally experienced this as an ever-present pit in my stomach, a black hole of trepidation that sucked all my energy down into it, until I could barely get out of bed in the morning.

If this sounds like you, please know that you’re not alone, nor do you have to go through it alone. You can do something about it. Of course, any physical or emotional symptoms should be treated by the appropriate medical professional — but if you’re pretty sure that that “cat up a tree” feeling is what’s bringing you down, action on your own behalf is the only cure.

One of my clients, who owns her own business, recently called me in a panic because she was afraid she wouldn’t have any work over the winter. Yes, her business is what you might call “seasonal” — but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t opportunities to be pursued. When I suggested some of these avenues to her, she balked. Her fear had its claws dug in so deeply that she didn’t realize there were any solutions to her problem. Her assumptions had taken control.

Think of your beautiful friend from high school, the one who always insisted she was ugly. No matter how many people told her it wasn’t true, she was terrified that it was. So she continued to operate from her (obviously incorrect) assumptions, and stayed miserable when she could have been happy.

When you’re deeply involved with your assumptions, it’s almost like joining a cult. Suddenly, there is no room for outside opinions, suggestions, or influences. You know what’s what, and you don’t want to hear anything else. If you’re stuck in that place, try to crack the door a few inches. Allow for the possibility that your assumptions might not be correct. Do your research. Talk to people who’ve been there. Make your decisions based on the facts, instead of letting fear step in and run the show.